Colorado College Tigers (6-21-1, 4-13-1 NCHC) vs. #10 Denver Pioneers (15-8-5, 11-5-2 NCHC)

Thursday, Feb. 18, 7:00 pm
The Broadmoor World Arena (7,380)
Colorado Springs, Colo.

Radio: KRDO 1240 AM/105.5 FM (Ken Landau) | Listen Live
TV: Altitude Sports (Joel Goldberg, play-by-play | Pat Micheletti, analyst) | DirecTV 681, Dish 413, Comcast 54/728
Live Streaming: NCHC.tv | Watch Live
Website: www.CCTigers.com
Twitter: CC_Hockey1
Facebook: Colorado College Tiger Hockey
Game Notes: Colorado College | Denver

The Game
Colorado College continues its historic rivalry with the 10th-ranked University of Denver Pioneers on Thursday, Feb. 18 at The Broadmoor World Arena. The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on KRDO NewsRadio 1240 AM and 105.5 FM, televised on Altitude Sports and streamed on NCHC.tv.
 
Last Time Out
Prior to the off week, the Tigers dropped a pair of games at Minnesota Duluth ... On Friday, Feb. 5, Austin Farley and Alex Iafallo each scored twice and Minnesota Duluth rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat CC, 5-3. Senior Cody Bradley (Tampa, FL) opened the scoring with a goal midway through the first period as CC led (1-0) after the first period for just the third time this season. Junior Luc Gerdes (Eden Prairie, MN) made it 2-0 with a power-play goal just 47 seconds into the second period. UMD scored the next four goals, including two from Farley, to take a 4-2 lead with 2:42 remaining in the third period. Junior Alex Roos (Prairie Grove, IL) cut the lead to 4-3 with 1:49 left, but Iafallo scored an empty-netter with 33 seconds left to close the scoring. Freshman goalie Jacob Nehama (Allen, TX) made 37 saves for the Tigers ... On Saturday, the Tigers held a 2-1 lead until Andy Welinski and Iafallo scored 53 seconds apart late in the game to steal a 3-2 victory. After falling behind 1-0 just 16 seconds into the contest, freshman Trey Bradley (Tampa, FL) and senior Hunter Fejes (Anchorage, AK) scored to give CC a 2-1 lead five minutes into the second period.

For the Record
CC is 6-21-1 overall and 4-13-1 in the NCHC. The Tigers are one point behind Western Michigan for seventh place in the league standings ... Denver is 15-8-5 overall and 11-5-2 in league play after sweeping No. 2 North Dakota at home last weekend. The Pioneers are in third place in the NCHC.

Up Next
Colorado College and Denver will play outdoors for the first time ever this Saturday, Feb. 20 as the two teams compete in the "Battle on Blake" at Coors Field in Denver.
The game is scheduled to start at 6:10 p.m.
     
The Coaches
Mike Haviland (Elmira College, '90) is in his second season at the helm of the Tigers. He came to Colorado College after serving one year as head coach of the Hershey Bears (AHL). Haviland was an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks from 2008-12, helping the team win the Stanley Cup in 2010 … Jim Montgomery (Maine, '93) is in his third season as head coach at Denver. He spent the previous three seasons as head coach and general manager of the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL. Montgomery is Maine's all-time leading scorer with 301 points (103g, 198a).

On the Air
All CC games in 2015-16, home and away, will be broadcast live throughout Southern Colorado on KRDO NewsRadio 105.5 FM and 1240 AM, featuring Ken Landau with the play-by-play. Pre-game shows start 37 minutes before faceoff. The broadcasts also can be heard worldwide via the Internet.

Scouting the Opposition
Junior Trevor Moore leads the Pioneers with 31 points (6g,25a), followed by freshman Dylan Gambrell with 30 (9g,21) and sophomore Danton Heinen with 27 (12g, 15a). Moore is tied for second in the NCHC with 25 assists. Sophomore goaltender Tanner Jaillet is 9-3-5 and has a 2.52 goals-against average this season.
 
Previous Meetings
Denver holds a 167-116-17 advantage in the all-time series with Colorado College. The Pioneers have six straight games since CC went 2-1-1 during the 2013-14 campaign, the last time they won the Gold Pan. The all-time series results are on page 6 of this release.
 
Rothstein's Line on Fire
Since playing together the last 14 games, the line of Fejes, Gerdes and junior center Sam Rothstein (Minnetonka, MN) has recorded 42 points (19g,23a).   

Fejes Feasts on Fridays
Fejes has scored 18 of his team-leading 22 points this season on Friday nights. He has at least one point in each of the last eight Friday night games and has 15 points (8g,7a) in those games.    

First Empty-Netter in a While
Rothstein's empty-net goal in the third period against Nebraska Omaha on Friday, Jan. 29 was CC's first since February 22, 2014 (Alexander Krushelnyski vs. Denver).  
 
First League Road Win
CC's 5-2 victory at fourth-ranked St. Cloud State on Jan. 9 was the first league road win for Mike Haviland. It had been nearly two years since the Tigers last won a conference game on the road, a 3-2 victory at Denver on Feb. 21, 2014. It was also the first win against a Top 5 ranked team since a 2-0 triumph over No. 1 Minnesota at the WCHA Final Five on March 22, 2013.  
 
Jacob Nehama Earns NCHC Honor
Freshman Jacob Nehama was named the Bauer NCHC Goalie of the Week following CC's split at St. Cloud State. Nehama made 81 saves during the weekend, including 47 in the team's 5-2 victory on Jan. 9. The 47 saves were the second-most in his career, just shy of his 52 against UMass-Lowell on Oct. 16. He was named the league's Rookie of the Week following CC's sweep of Miami, Dec. 4-5.

2-For-3 at UAH
In the 5-2 victory over Alabama Huntsville on Dec. 18, Fejes and Gerdes became the first CC duo with three points in the same game since Alexander Krushelnyski and Rylan Schwartz each had three in a 5-1 victory over Minnesota Duluth on Jan. 19, 2013. Fejes has 18 points (11g,7a) in the last 14 games, while Gerdes has 16 points (5g,11a), including all 11 of his assists, in his last 15 games.

First League Sweep at Home in Three Years
Prior to the sweep over Miami, Dec. 4-5, the last time CC swept a league opponent at home was Nov. 9-10, 2012 against Bemidji State when both teams were members of the WCHA.   

Three in a Row
With the victory over Air Force and sweep of Miami, the Tigers owned their first three-game winning streak under Mike Haviland. The team's last three-game streak was from Feb. 15 to Feb. 22, 2014 (defeated Western Michigan once and Denver twice).

Upperclassmen Coming Through Lately
After scoring just five of the team's first 15 goals this season, CC's juniors and seniors have scored 32 of the last 47 goals.
    
Comeback vs. Miami The First in a While
CC's comeback on Dec. 4 marked its first win when trailing in the third period since a 4-3 victory over St. Cloud State at home on Feb. 22, 2013.
 
Back Playing The Top 20
After playing facing an unranked team for the first time in 2016, the Tigers will play a ranked opponent for the fourth time in the five series since the beginning of 2016. CC has played 16 of its 28 games against opponents ranked in the top 20 at the time of the game, including 12 against Top 10 teams.

Penalty Kill Continues to Shine
Colorado College killed off seven of Minnesota Duluth's eight power plays and has erased 86 of the last 101 overall (85.1%) dating back to the second period of the Oct. 16 game at UMass-Lowell. In their 18 league games, the Tigers have an 86.3% penalty kill percentage, good for No. 3 in the NCHC.

Scoring Brothers
Cody and Trey Bradley each gathered an assist on freshman Trevor Gooch's (Mantua, NJ) goal against UMass-Lowell on Oct. 16, becoming the first set of brothers to record a point on a CC goal since March 9, 2012 (Jaden and Rylan Schwartz). The two combined again on Dec. 5 as Trey assisted on Cody's second-period goal against Miami. That was the first time a CC player assisted on his brother's goal since March 2, 2012 (Rylan assisted on Jaden's goal). The Bradley's collected an assist on each other's goal during the series at Minnesota Duluth.

Consecutive GWG a Rare Feat
Fejes' back-to-back game-winning goals against Miami, Dec. 4-5, were the first by a Tiger since Nick Dineen posted the GWG in each game of a series sweep against Wisconsin on Nov. 18-19, 2011. Fejes is tied for seventh in the NCHC with two game-winners in league play.

Scoring Has Picked Up Second Half of Season
Entering the game against Air Force on Friday, Nov. 27, Colorado College had 15 goals and 27 assists for 42 points in 12 games. In the last 16 games, CC has 47 goals and 75 assists for 122 points. In addition, 14 of the team's 19 power-play goals have come in the last 16 games.

Nehama Records Most Saves in 18 Years
Nehama's 52 saves at UMass-Lowell on Oct. 16 were the most in one game by a CC goalie since Judd Lambert made 60 in a four-overtime victory (1-0) over Wisconsin on March 8, 1997.  

Tough Schedule This Year
Six of Colorado College's 12 opponents this season, Boston College (#2), St. Cloud State (#3), North Dakota (#4), Denver (#10), UMass-Lowell (#11) and Omaha (#12), are ranked in the top 12 of this week's USCHO.com Top 20 poll. CC's opponents have a combined record of 176-111-45, good for a .593 winning percentage.

This Year's Leadership
Junior forward Sam Rothstein (Minnetonka, MN) is serving as the team captain in 2015-16. Rothstein, the first junior to be named captain at CC since Mark Stuart in 2004-05, scored 14 points (6g,8a) as a sophomore and has missed just four games in his career … Senior forward Cody Bradley (Tampa, FL), who led the team in scoring with 30 points last season, and junior forwards Zach Aman (Johnstown, PA) and Christian Heil (Westminster, CO) are the alternate captains.

A Pair of Tigers Drafted
Two players on this year's roster have been drafted by National Hockey League teams.  Fejes was drafted in the sixth round of the 2012 draft by the Phoenix (now Arizona) Coyotes, while sophomore Teemu Kivihalme (Savage, MN) was drafted by the Nashville Predators in the fifth round of the 2013 draft.

Hanson Retires, Named Student Assistant Coach
Senior Jared Hanson (Palmer, AK), one of eight student-athletes in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference named to the league's 2014-15 Scholar-Athlete Team, will not play his final season at CC and will serve as a student assistant coach.

Matt Zaba Added to Coaching Staff
Matt Zaba, a 2007 graduate of Colorado College, was named as a volunteer coach for the CC hockey team prior to this season. Zaba, who ranks No. 3 on the school's list for career goaltending wins with 55, will work exclusively with the team's netminders.

Once in a Lifetime Opportunity ... Outdoor Game
The 302nd meeting between in-state rivals Col­orado College and the University of Denver will certainly be unlike any other in the 65-year his­tory of the series. The schools announced they will play an outdoor hockey game at Coors Field in Denver on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016. Dubbed the 'Battle on Blake,' this will be the first colle­giate hockey game ever played at Coors Field and marks the first time that CC and DU have faced off in an outdoor match. The game will be played one week prior to the Colorado Avalanche hosting the Detroit Red Wings at Coors Field as part of the Coors Light NHL Stadium Series.